George Island
Even in Alaska, Icy Strait is an extraordinary place. Here the placid Inside Passage meets the wild outer coast. Waves pound and tidal currents swirl, stirring the sea to a fervor of productivity so rich that a greenhouse tang fills the air. Green waters teem with krill, herring and salmon, attracting hungry hoards eager for their share of this cool dilute chowder.
We awoke in Idaho Inlet near a raft of sea otters. These fuzzy creatures, engagingly industrious and subtly anthropomorphic, are so cute as to leave little room in the adorable department for any of their marine mammalian compatriots.
Soon after breakfast, we dropped anchor at George Island. This island faces the Gulf of Alaska, yet holds a protected cove. Kayakers left this cove and gradually paddled out into open ocean swell, which was gentle, yet imposing. We skimmed over kelp forests and passed colorful starfish. Our final destination, a bold sea arch, framed the distant shores of Glacier Bay National Park. The scenery and wild quality of this route make it perhaps the finest short paddle in all of Alaska! Many took a Zodiac cruise around George Island. The usual amazing scenery, puffins, sea otters, and sea lions were enlivened by the appearance of a humpback whale. Meanwhile, walkers explored the island. The intertidal life of George Island is unusually rich and colorful, and many enjoyed discovering treasures hidden among the rocks. Others walked to the far end of the island. Surprisingly, this remote island is historically rich. During World War II, a huge gun was installed to guard against feared Japanese invasion. We walked to the gun and enjoyed the expansive view from an adjoining rocky shelf.
During lunch we made our way to a nearby group of islands, the Inians. But our voyage was interrupted by killer whales! We all trouped up to the bow to watch a tight squadron of fins slicing the waves.
We dropped anchor among the Inians and hopped into our Zodiacs. One of the smallest of the island group is a haul-out for Steller sea lions. As we approached the rocks we started seeing sea lions swimming around us. Many were huge, and seemed curious about us, though shy. They surfaced, approached, grimaced and rolled their red-rimmed eyes, then dropped into the chilly depths. Some of us were lucky enough to observe sea lions with salmon, and we found that sea lions are not dainty eaters. Lacking cutlery, they come to the surface and lash their heads, tearing their prey into chunky pieces. Near their island, we found masses of sea lions in writhing piles on the rocks. Sea lions love company, and do not mind napping on the head of a neighbor, but they seem unable to coexist without constant caterwauling. These sea lions protest an interruption to their repose not with the goofy barking of their Californian relatives, but with a deep, throaty roar. Indeed, these are the maned and bellowing species from which sea lions get their name. While the sea lions were the focus, we tried not to ignore the occasional humpbacks, sea otters, puffins, and eagles that passed by.
After dinner we reached Point Adolphus. This spot in Icy Strait is famed for its humpback whales, which gather to feed on krill. Sure enough, humpbacks spouted all around us. Sea lions splashed in boisterous knots. Killer whales appeared. Gulls filled the air, and eagles circled overhead. All were set in a backdrop of green water and tree-clad mountains. The spectacular richness of the scene seemed a fitting finale to a day in Icy Strait.
Even in Alaska, Icy Strait is an extraordinary place. Here the placid Inside Passage meets the wild outer coast. Waves pound and tidal currents swirl, stirring the sea to a fervor of productivity so rich that a greenhouse tang fills the air. Green waters teem with krill, herring and salmon, attracting hungry hoards eager for their share of this cool dilute chowder.
We awoke in Idaho Inlet near a raft of sea otters. These fuzzy creatures, engagingly industrious and subtly anthropomorphic, are so cute as to leave little room in the adorable department for any of their marine mammalian compatriots.
Soon after breakfast, we dropped anchor at George Island. This island faces the Gulf of Alaska, yet holds a protected cove. Kayakers left this cove and gradually paddled out into open ocean swell, which was gentle, yet imposing. We skimmed over kelp forests and passed colorful starfish. Our final destination, a bold sea arch, framed the distant shores of Glacier Bay National Park. The scenery and wild quality of this route make it perhaps the finest short paddle in all of Alaska! Many took a Zodiac cruise around George Island. The usual amazing scenery, puffins, sea otters, and sea lions were enlivened by the appearance of a humpback whale. Meanwhile, walkers explored the island. The intertidal life of George Island is unusually rich and colorful, and many enjoyed discovering treasures hidden among the rocks. Others walked to the far end of the island. Surprisingly, this remote island is historically rich. During World War II, a huge gun was installed to guard against feared Japanese invasion. We walked to the gun and enjoyed the expansive view from an adjoining rocky shelf.
During lunch we made our way to a nearby group of islands, the Inians. But our voyage was interrupted by killer whales! We all trouped up to the bow to watch a tight squadron of fins slicing the waves.
We dropped anchor among the Inians and hopped into our Zodiacs. One of the smallest of the island group is a haul-out for Steller sea lions. As we approached the rocks we started seeing sea lions swimming around us. Many were huge, and seemed curious about us, though shy. They surfaced, approached, grimaced and rolled their red-rimmed eyes, then dropped into the chilly depths. Some of us were lucky enough to observe sea lions with salmon, and we found that sea lions are not dainty eaters. Lacking cutlery, they come to the surface and lash their heads, tearing their prey into chunky pieces. Near their island, we found masses of sea lions in writhing piles on the rocks. Sea lions love company, and do not mind napping on the head of a neighbor, but they seem unable to coexist without constant caterwauling. These sea lions protest an interruption to their repose not with the goofy barking of their Californian relatives, but with a deep, throaty roar. Indeed, these are the maned and bellowing species from which sea lions get their name. While the sea lions were the focus, we tried not to ignore the occasional humpbacks, sea otters, puffins, and eagles that passed by.
After dinner we reached Point Adolphus. This spot in Icy Strait is famed for its humpback whales, which gather to feed on krill. Sure enough, humpbacks spouted all around us. Sea lions splashed in boisterous knots. Killer whales appeared. Gulls filled the air, and eagles circled overhead. All were set in a backdrop of green water and tree-clad mountains. The spectacular richness of the scene seemed a fitting finale to a day in Icy Strait.
